Forever Partners
by OhBuddy66
Summary: Everyone that knew them would have guessed Kensi or Deeks would have gone out in a blaze of glory. Not that it would have been easier to accept, but it would have made more sense. As it turns out, at least they went together. ****WARNING: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH****


**Forever Partners**

_Author's note: I've been reading the comments on a couple fan sites regarding Densi, or the lack thereof. It would seem that most think that the writers have abandoned this relationship and are moving forward with other story ideas. Here's my take on how the writers could put this "thing" to bed – if that is what they are doing - but insuring that our favorite couple will always be together. Is it extreme? _**_Yes_**_ Do I want it to happen on the show? _**_Absolutely not._**

"So Kens, takeout and a movie tonight, P-artner?" Deeks asked her, popping the P emphatically.

She looked across the space between their desks to him. She glanced from Sam to Callen before looking back to Deeks. The guys both smirked, knowing that their two younger team mates spent all their down time together. They may never admit to being an official couple, but in everyone's eyes that's exactly what they were.

"Sure…partner," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Your place or mine?" She grinned.

Deeks wiggled his eyebrows, never passing up an opportunity to turn anything she said into something vaguely dirty. "Uh, Fern? Could you ask that one more time, a little slower maybe?" He flashed his trademark crooked grin, eyes sparkling.

Sam and Callen couldn't help but laugh. Before, moments like these between the junior partners would cause them much irritation. Nowadays they cherished the banter the two shared.

Kensi sighed, closing her eyes slowly. She opened them again, focusing on Deeks. "Shut up," she said, shaking her head. A smile lit her face, though. She loved times like this. "You know what, Deeks? For that I'm picking the place, the takeout AND the movie!" She declared.

"Okay, Princess. Whatever you want, just name it." Deeks smiled.

Kensi looked at him, finally she said, "My place, Yummy Yummy Heart Attack and…I'm not sure…maybe something from the John Hughes library."

Deeks' shoulders sagged. "Seriously, Kens, again with the John Hughes kick?" He whined. In truth he wasn't upset at all, but he still played up the drama.

"Suck it up, beach boy. Be at my place by 7 or face the consequences," she ordered him.

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he slid his chair back from his desk.

Callen stood, getting ready to leave for the night, too. "Take it easy on him, Kensi. We still have to work tomorrow."

Sam said nothing, just waited for the comment he knew Deeks would have in reply to Callen's. Deeks did not disappoint.

"Kensi, hey…don't listen to him. Don't go easy on me. Kensi, please?" Again he wiggled his eyebrows.

Kensi's face turned a nice shade of pink and her eyes were wide. "Deeks! Oh my gosh, would you stop it?"

All four of them walked down the tunnel to leave, still laughing and carrying on with one another. Little did they know that it would be the last time they would all be together.

The next morning Sam and Callen sat at their desks. Kensi and Deeks were late. Late enough it was past being funny. Neither answered their phones. This was not like them to be unreachable.

"Mr. Callen? Mr. Hanna? Mr. Beale tracked their cells - they are at her place. Would you gentlemen be so kind as to go check on them, please?" Hetty asked, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. They nodded and got up to leave.

Sam glanced over at Callen before turning his attention to the road. "G, they probably got a little crazy last night and are just sleeping. Maybe they finally just gave in to all the tension between them and wore each other out," Sam joked.

"I hope you're right, Sam. I just have a bad feeling," Callen admitted.

Sam pushed the accelerator a little harder, slinging the Challenger through the early morning traffic. They pulled up to Kensi's apartment. Her SRX and Deeks' car both sat next to each other in her assigned spots. They jumped out of the Challenger and approached Kensi's door. Callen reached out, knocking loudly.

"Kensi! Deeks! Time to get up you two!" Sam called through the door. No response. He looked at Callen, concern washing over him. Callen knocked again and then tried the door. It was locked. They walked around back. Sam stepped up to the window and glanced inside. "G," he called out to his partner softly. Callen looked at him.

"What is it, Sam?" Callen asked, not liking the look on the big man's face.

Sam nodded for him to look in the window himself. He leaned against it, shading his eyes with his hands to see through the glare. To the right against the wall Kensi's TV still played. To the left, Kensi and Deeks were on her couch. Both appeared to be in a deep slumber. Callen looked back to Sam, who took off running for the door at the front of the apartment, Callen right behind him. Sam hit the door at full speed, not taking the time to pick the lock or be quiet. He felt for a pulse on Kensi and then checked Deeks. Callen was still at the door. He watched as Sam bent over their team mates. Sam stood up straight and stared at the wall behind the couch before turning slowly to face Callen.

"They're gone, G…they're both gone," Sam's voice cracked, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

Callen glared at Sam. "No. I don't believe you."

Callen moved toward the figures on the couch. "Kensi? Come on, quit playing. Deeks!"

He reached out and felt for himself. He pulled his hand away quickly.

They looked so peaceful. Deeks was on his back, his head resting on the arm of the couch. Kensi was on her left side between Deeks and the back of the couch, snuggled up against her partner. Her head rested on his shoulder, her right leg bent up over both his. Deeks' right arm wrapped around her shoulders, her right hand lay on his abdomen. Her fingers were intertwined with the fingers of his left hand. Both of them were still wearing the clothes they had worn the day before. Empty takeout containers sat on the coffee table, along with a few beer bottles, their cell phones, and the remote to her TV. Clearly they had fallen asleep in this position. There was no denying they were more than partners. It was obvious to Sam and Callen, even in their shocked state, that Kensi and Deeks were a couple. They both felt like they were intruding on a very private moment. Sam and Callen stepped outside. Callen pulled out his cell and dialed Ops.

Hetty, Granger, Eric and Nell stood restlessly in Ops waiting to hear something from the guys. Suddenly the phone rang and Eric picked it up before the first ring ended. He held it out to Hetty, who reached for it slowly.

"It's Callen," he told her.

"This is Hetty. What is the status of our Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks?"

Everyone watched as the diminutive manager's shoulders slumped. The tension was thick in the air. Without another word Hetty hung the phone up and slowly turned to face the rest of the team. They all were surprised to see the tears forming in her eyes. She looked at each of them, not knowing how to begin.

Granger was getting impatient. "What is it, Henrietta? Are they okay?" He demanded.

Hetty looked up to the assistant director. Tears were starting to run down her face as she shook her head. "No, Owen…they are not."

Nell was freaking out. "What happened to them, Hetty? Are they in the hospital? Can we go see them?" She implored.

"Ms. Jones, Mr. Beale…they…" she paused, taking in a breath before continuing, her voice breaking, "they have passed."

Nell slapped her hand over her mouth, the look of horror that came over her almost too much for Hetty and Eric to handle. Eric stared ahead, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong.

"What the hell happened, Henrietta?" Granger called out.

* * *

><p>Everyone that knew them would have guessed Kensi or Deeks would have gone out in a blaze of glory. A massive explosion, a gun battle. Not that it would have been easier to accept, but it would have made more sense. As it turned out, there were no bad guys, no violence, no bloodshed. No, the killer that stole their lives in the middle of the night was carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty gas water heater in Kensi's apartment.<p>

After the initial shock at the loss of the two young partners, everyone agreed it was fitting that they at least went together. Kensi's mom, Julia, insisted that her daughter be buried with Deeks. She revealed to the team what they had suspected all along - Kensi and Deeks indeed were a couple, and had been officially for almost a year. They hadn't made it public knowledge yet. They wanted to prove to themselves they could balance both the career and a relationship without either affecting the other. The team all agreed they had successfully done just that, fooling them all.

* * *

><p>It was the one month anniversary of their loss. The team made the trip to the cemetery to view the headstone that had finally been finished. As they gathered around there wasn't a dry eye to be found.<p>

The headstone stood almost 4 feet tall. Etched into the front was a picture of the two lovers. The team immediately recognized it. Nell had snapped the photo in the gym one day. The four team mates stood shoulder to shoulder, Deeks and Kensi in the middle. Deeks had his arm around Kensi's shoulder and they both had brilliant smiles on their faces. They looked so happy together. Kensi and Deeks both had saved a cropped version of it on their phones when Kensi had been sent to Afghanistan. It was the same cropped picture on their headstone. Underneath the photo it was inscribed "Martin Andrew Deeks and Kensi Marie Blye - In life and in death, forever partners".

**_THE END_**


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